About You

Our best clients place a priorty on design and customizing a space to their needs. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to best layout and organize things to make daily routines more enjoyable. 

Our clients also place a premium on service. Things like good communication, and easy to follow process, clean jobsites and fast follow up. 

Some questions to ask yourself:

Are you busy or feeling overwhelmed with options?
Are you stressed about trying to coordinate separate designers, material suppliers and contractors on your own?

Are you concerned about communication and customer service?
Do you worry about mess, disruption, unreturned phone calls, surprise costs and unexpected delays?  

What impact with this project have on you and your family?
Will you regret if its done poorly or mistakes are made in the design? Could you afford to do it over?

Do you want a great warranty?
Do you want one company to warranty everything on the project? 

If you answered yes to those questions you probably want a contractor that provides a high level of service and has a clearly defined process so you always know what to expect. We would likely be an ideal fit. 

Indoor Cats vs Outdoor Cats

Some contractors are ‘outdoor cats’. They do good work but they may not be the cleanest or most organized. They can be a good choice for exterior projects or shorter projects and repairs.

But for a significant interior remodel you want an ‘indoor cat’… a company that is expert at working in the home, with detailed schedules, good communication and a focus on jobsite cleanliness and organization.

The Types of Projects We Do

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels
Especially when improving the layout and customizing things to your needs are a priority. 

Whole Home Remodels
Whether you want to approach it in stages or all at once. 

Additions
Especially if a kitchen or bath are part of the addition. 

There are some projects we are not a good fit for. We are aways happy to answer questions or provide referrals if we are not a good fit, just call us to discuss.

We are not a good fit if:

You don’t need design or materials selection help
If you are designing the project yourself, buying your own materials or are already working with another designer we’re probably not the right choice.

You are looking for the lowest cost option
Some contractors are focused on low costs. We are focused on great design, quality results and an exceptional level of service.

Single Trade Projects
Small projects that need just one or two specialized trades like countertops, plumbing repairs or flooring install are pretty simple and you can save money managing them on your own. Call us for a referral. 

Handyman repairs
We don’t do handyman style repairs for the same reason we generally don’t do single trade projects. Call us for a referral. 

Investment properties, rentals, ‘flips’
Our focus on high quality and great service means we are not a great choice for these type of projects. 

There are some projects that are a ‘grey area’ for us. We could be a good fit if you are looking for that ‘turn key experience’. But these are smaller project where you might be able to save some money working with a traditional contractor and because they are smaller and less complex you can manage the coordination and design on your own.

Decorating Projects
A lot of interior design is focused on decorating… choosing furniture, wall & floor coverings and art. We only provide decorating services when doing a larger remodel that includes a kitchen or bathroom. Call us for a referral if you only need decorating services.

Insurance Work
We could be a great choice if you are looking to improve and update your home as part of the project. But if you are just looking to make minimal repairs or need them done quickly and insurace restoration contractor might be a better choice.

Budget Updates to get ready to sell
 If you are planning to sell your home in 1-3 years and just want to do lower cost updates like painting your cabinets and updating backsplash and countertops etc… we are likely not the best choice.

Many contractors are undercharging.

A contractor that undercharges might sound like it benefits you but the reality is when contractors undercharge they struggle to provide consistent results and are often forced to take short cuts that affect the quality of work and level of service they provide.

The Contractor Price Trap

When a contractor undercharges:

• • They can not afford to invest in tools or training and often do not know the proper install methods for modern materials and building code.
• • They don’t have time to do proper planning, create accurate estimates or keep up with client communication.
• • They are constantly stressed and overworked which can cause bad decision making.

When you hear stories of remodeling projects gone wrong these things are often the cause. The trap of lower cost contractors is low initial price that can ‘trap’ you with surprise costs, delays and regrets.

Comparing apples to apples

If you compare us to companies that provide a similar level of quality and service you’ll find our prices are very reasonable.

In fact we provide a huge value because we are the only licensed contractor in Tallahassee with a full service showroom and in house design team.

What You Get When You Work With Us

Service
Great communication, quick response time, on time completion, clean jobsites, and great service don’t just happen. It requires support staff like our showroom and warehouse manager in addition to project managers and designers.

Expertise
We invest in the grotwth and training of our staff. Monthly ‘lunch and learns’ are a core part of staff development but we also attend industry conferences and trainings. It’s how we continue to provide expert design services, stay on top of new trends and materials and continue to lead the industry in quality and service.

Our infrastructure
Having our own showroom, warehouse and offices, branded trucks, equipment trailers and professional systems in place are essential to creating a professional environment and providing great quality and service.

The best people
We pay our staff well, provide health insurance, flexible schedules and generous time. We provide continuing education and career training opportunites. This helps us attract and develop the best people to help you.

The best subs and installers
We work with the best tradesmen and installers in town and treat them like they are part of our team. We’ve been using many of the same subs for years.

Every new trade partner goes through an onboarding process that includes a team interview, background checks, and signing out trade partner agreement that outlines our standards and expectations.

No shortcuts 
We don’t skimp on materials or construction standards. We are building for the long term, not providing band-aid solutions or quick fixes.  Our focus in on quality work that will last for decades, period.

Proper licensing and insurance
We are State Certified Residential Contractors (lic CRC1331326). Both of our designers are have degrees in interior design.

We carry a $2,000,000 general liablity, $2,000,000 commercial auto policy and workers compensation insurance provided by a reputable insurer. We require all of our trade partners to do the same.

Our Reviews

Client Testimonials

“Trusting the people you are working with makes all the difference and the folks at McManus are over the top…”

In an ideal world where timeline and budget were not factors we would love to help every homeonwer in Tallahassee with all their proejcts large and small.

But the reality is some projects are best left to handyman businesses, others only need a single trade contractor and others would benefit from our design build approach.

What are the Options

DIY

Pro’s: less expensive, just takes yout time

Con’s: takes up your time, quality may be lower depending on your level of expertise

For very small project DIY is often the way to go. Small paint touch ups, light maintenance and simple repairs can be done in an afternoon with a little support from YouTube.

Even larger projects can be DIY’ed, though that might mean multiple weekends of work and likely a lower quality of finish and even some design mistakes.

Handyman (unlicensed contractors) 

Pros: only option for small projects, less expensive

Cons: no license reuirement, many are unqualified, many are ‘fly by night’ 

This is the category you have to be the most careful with. A Hhndyman is generally a 1 man show. The level of knowledge and training they have varies a lot. Many do handyman work as a ‘side hussle’ are really not good at any particular trade. They can be a great choice if you have a handful of small repairs  but I would avoid them for larger projects.

Most handymen are really good at 1 or two trades but mediocre (or terrible) at others. When hiring one try to determine what they have they most experience in and use them for that.

There are some handman businesses that are run by licensed contractors. This does not mean they are any better at any particular trade but it does mean they are likely more experienced.

Traditional Licensed. Contractors

Pros: state licensed, usually have more experience

Cons: often understaffed or unorganized. 

Traditional contractors typically have worked in construction for years under another licenced contractor before getting their own license so they tend to know more about construction. They are also required by the state to carry min levels of insurance and get continuing education. While there are some great traditional contractors in Tallahassee there are also many who lack experience and training to do higher end remodels.